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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. 0. SMITH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIRE ESGAPES.

No. 533,503. Patented Feb. 5, 189 5.

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SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIRE ESGAPES No. 533,503. Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATEN'r rriont ELLA GONNELL SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FlRE-ESCAPES.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,503, dated February 5, 1895.

Application filed November 26, 1894. Serial No, 530,129 (No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELLA OONNELL SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to improvements in fire escapes and more particularly to that class of fire escapes, wherein a ladder or stairs are used in ascending and descending on the outside of a building and which terminate at a landing or platform having an opening therein, through which a person passes when taking the ladder in descending or ascending as the case may be, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The annexed drawings to which reference is made fully illustrate my invention, in which Figure 1, represents a perspective View of my device and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the platform partly broken away showing my improved safety device. Fig. 3, is a detail perspective view of my device showing more clearly the hook h engaging the eye 2'.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A, designates the fire escape of the well known construction which is used on the exterior of a building, consisting of the usual ladder a and platform or landing I) having the usual guard railing surrounding the same and the usual opening in the center or floor.

B, represents a rectangular frame corresponding in shape to that of the opening in the landing but somewhat smaller in size, said frame consisting of metal bars 0 firmly joined to one another at their meeting portions, leaving a space d between said bars, similar to that of the landing. At one end of this frame and arranged at the corners thereof are eyes e e which are connected to eyes f, f in each corner of the landing by a ring g, g, which is interposed between said four eyes. These rings serve to support the weight of the frame whether in normal or abnormal position as well as providing a hinged connection between the frame and landing; at the same time permitting a slight horizontal movement to said frame which will be further hereinafter explained. The opposite end of this frame is provided at its corners with downwardly projecting hooks h, h, which enter eyes or staples 2 71, when the frame is in its normal position, at this end of the opening in said landing, whereby the weight of this end of the frame is supported. It will thus be observed from the above description and by reference to the annexed drawings that when the frame is in its normal position, the space or opening in the landing is bridged thus presenting an unbroken platform thus permitting the entire floor of the landing to be used, without danger to the occupants, which is extremely desirable where fire escapes are used upon tenement houses.

Should it be desirable to use the fire escape ladders, the person simply raises the hooked end of the frame until the hooks thereof clear the eyes or staples i, 2', after which said frame is moved horizontally in the direction of the connecting rings when said hooks will leave the staples or eyes and the frame will fall and assume a vertical position, supported therein by the interposed rings and out of the way of the persons passing up or down the ladders, and a device as herein described is easily and quickly operated and at the same time cheap to manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a fire escape of the class described, a swinging frame one end thereof connected to the platform by interposed rings and the 0p posite end having hooks engaging eyes or staples in said platform substantially as do scribed and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLA CONNELL SMITH.

Witnesses:

ALMA B. CoNNELL, ELIAR HERBERT BONNELL. 

